Opposition barred from Syria’s July vote

Syria’s exiled opposition will be barred from a presidential vote to be held before July, virtually ensuring Bashar al-Assad’s re-election three years into an uprising against his family’s four-decade rule.

Yesterday marked the third anniversary of the revolt, which began as peaceful protests calling for democratic change but deteriorated into an insurgency and civil war after the regime brutally cracked down on dissent.

Assad has remained in power despite fighting that has killed more than 146,000 people and driven millions from their homes, while rebels have seized large swathes of the country.